A Christmas Blessing A Poem By Joy Aletheia Stevens ~ Just a note to say: Merry Christmas, to you today! And I hope your day is full up of Hope and Joy, Peace and Love. ~ Let Christ’s Peace surround your life, Keep you free from grief, and strife, Hold your heart inside His […]
The Last Day of Advent: Christmas Eve
It’s the moment. That moment of beautiful anticipation. Tomorrow is Christmas! Our Advent Season is coming to completion. It’s a sacred moment, a quiet moment, a hold your breath kind of moment, because even the whisper of breath disturbers the stillness. It is time for Christ’s Candle. the people living in darkness have seen a […]
The Fourth Sunday of Advent: Love
The Magi came to give gifts to the New Born King, and their gifts were a reflection of the gifts the King would BE to his people. They gave Him gold because He would be King. Reigning to bring justice and peace to a broken world. They gave Him Frankincense, an incense used to burn in […]
The Third Sunday of Advent: Joy
It was a quiet night, the night Joy entered the world. Can you imagine being the shepherds who heard the message? But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great JOY for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been […]
The Second Sunday of Advent: Peace
Can you imagine being Mary? A young unmarried girl suddenly found to be pregnant in a day when such a thing demanded stoning, and yet she was not afraid. Why not? What was it about Mary that gave her such peace in a situation where most would be, at the very best, afraid, and at […]
The First Sunday of Advent: Hope
What is Christmas to you? What does it mean? Does it mean Hope and Peace and Joy and Faith? Peace on Earth, Goodwill towards Men? Is it about Santa and Presents and the Smiling Faces of Children? The candles for the four Sundays of Advent vary in meaning and tradition, but nearly universally the first […]
Living a Life of Irrational Generosity
I saw a post run through my news feed: “Church acts in irrational generosity to help refugees” and my heart smiled. I’ve seen a lot of fear and anger and debate the last several weeks, but as we enter a giving season I hope we can all learn to be “irrationally generous.” It’s time to […]
The Tree Falls: A Journey from Need, into Gratitude, into Trust.
The wind is howling outside, belying the idea of warmth that a clear sky and a shining sun show through my window. Trees are toppling, weakened by the drought. I sit inside safely, with a twinkling tree, and the warmth of all the decorations still around me, to sooth my heart. Soon enough this tree is […]
A Holy Mite
A Holy Mite A Poem, By Joy Aletheia Stevens ~ Starlight in the Night Looking down on the Holy Mite, A Little Bitty, A Tiny Thing, But in this Babe, Hope, a King! ~ All our worries, all our cares, Hinge, now, in a stable there. A Mighty Lord, who is Just and Right, Has […]
A Child is Born
At this moment, this very moment, somewhere in the world a baby is being born. A child is letting out their very first cry. A woman is becoming this beautiful amazing thing: a mother. Every child, every last one, changes the world around it. This woman? Her life will never be the same after she […]